Home Gaming Of course there are people buying and selling Twitch views

Of course there are people buying and selling Twitch views

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Twitch

Twitch has become the most popular place to watch people play video games – and it’s also become one of the best ways to earn money by having people watch you play videogames. “Celebrity” streamers rake in all sorts of cash, and sponsorship deals for having high viewerships and user interaction. So naturally, people are abusing the system – using botnets to falsely inflate viewer numbers.

In a new report, Antivirus and Malware specialist chaps at Symantec say that unsavoury sorts are attacking people’s computers, and then using them in large elaborate botnets and renting them out to inflate channel views. To keep users unaware, the streams are hidden and muted. The reasons are simple. In order to take part in Twitch’s revenue streams, users need to amass significant enough views; somewhere in the region of 500 concurrent viewers. By “buying” these views, they open the gates to more money.

figure2_twitchbotnet

There are three principal ways for Twitch broadcasters to earn cash:

  • Viewers can subscribe to broadcasters’ channels on a monthly basis in order to access new perks.
  • Broadcasters can receive donations from viewers.
  • Broadcasters can display ads either before, during, or after their streams.

Bots won’t pay to subscribe, nor will they donate money – but advertisers will end up paying for those “views,” even if they’re artificial. Once such service offers Twitch views at $29.99 for 100 viewers and 40 chatters to $159 for 1,000 viewers and 400 chatters.

“While many broadcasters stream their gameplay online as a hobby, some have managed to turn it into a well-paid full time job,” Symantec researcher Lionel Payet says. “Over the past few years, this business model has grown sharply, so it’s unsurprising that scammers are piggybacking on the industry in a parallel underground economy.”

figure3_twitchbotnet

Of course, it was inevitable. You can buy YouTube views, webpage hits, and all sorts of other nonsense over the internet if you’re desperate enough.

Last Updated: April 17, 2015

8 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief asked for this

    April 17, 2015 at 13:02

    PAY to watch someone else play?
    WHAT YEAR IS IT??????

    Reply

  2. RinceThis

    April 17, 2015 at 13:06

    HAHAHAH! Sigh, pay to watch some jerk shout at his screen? This world is not right…

    Reply

    • D.Zoolander

      April 17, 2015 at 16:45

      I’ve watched a few and they aren’t bad honestly, but what gets to me is how most of the guys looks like someone you would find under a bridge, taking no pride in their appearance or cognisance of the fact that they are broadcasting themselves to lots of people. Oh and the swearing! I switch a stream off the second they start, not that I’m offended, but see it as highly unprofessional and unnecessary ESPECIALLY if they are doing it as their full-time job.

      Reply

    • Lothy

      April 20, 2015 at 12:08

      I enjoy watching a lot of the streams and some of them are really good. I wouldn’t personally ever donate or subscribe but I can see why other ppl do. U supporting a guy who entertains, don’t really see the problem here. Its the 21st century now, so thinking that subscribing to “sports” is normal and this isn’t is really narrow minded. Some of the top guys easily get around 400 subscribers a sessions and $1000’s of dollars donated daily, clearly there is a demand for this, whatever it may be.

      Reply

  3. Ir0nseraph

    April 17, 2015 at 13:21

    I don’t really watch streams, the only one I have watched to date was the lazy COD tournament.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      April 17, 2015 at 13:25

      Same here and i was working late that night. When at home I’m too busty playing game or watching Netflix.

      Reply

      • Ragnar The Vengeful

        April 17, 2015 at 14:18

        What level of bustiness is too busty?

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          April 17, 2015 at 14:24

          Strip Club

          Reply

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